Transfer devices



Feb. 14, 1961 H. R. JACOBS, JR, EFAL TRANSFER DEVICES Filed May 13, 1959 IIVHART A 770 IPA/7 United States Patent TRANSFER DEVICES Harry R. Jacobs, Jr., Robert F. Minehart, and John F.

Sheehan, Jr., Omaha, Nebr., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, 'N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 13, 1959, Ser. No. 812,994

2 Claims. (Cl. 242-25) This invention relates to transfer devices and more particularly to a transfer device for a continuous strand winding apparatus.

The automatic, uninterrupted transfer of strand material from a reel filled by the continuous distribution of strand thereto to an empty reel has in the past required the wire distributor to be shifted at an extremely rapid rate during the transfer operation. The rate at which the distributor is shifted from the full to the empty reel has been of necessity not only rapid, but also quite critical, in order that the strand be engaged simultaneously by snagger plates attached to and extending radially beyond the inner flanges of the reels. The desirability of the simultaneous engagement of that portion of the strand material interposed between the two reels resides in the maintenance of a constant tension on the strand resulting in a uniform severing thereof.

It is a prime object of this invention to provide a new and improved transfer device for a continuous strand winding apparatus.

Another object of this invention resides in a transfer device positioned between and extending radially beyond reel flanges in a position engageable with the strand material fed by a distributor being shifted from a full to an empty reel.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a transfer device so shaped as to support the engaged strand material until such time as the strand may be simultaneously engaged by adjacent teeth on snagger plates secured to the inner flanges of the reels and moved into engagement with a severing device.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention contemplates an arcuate or curved transfer device or deflector plate stationarily mounted between and projecting beyond the peripheral surfaces of a pair of snagger plates. The snagger plates are mounted in spaced relationship to the inner flange of a full and an empty reel and are secured to the shaft of the reel drive means for rotary movement therewith. A distributor that feeds and guides strand material to the reels is shifted from a position in alignment with the full reel into alignment with the empty reel, thereby bringing the strand into engagement with the inner flange of the full reel and the projecting surface of the deflector plate. The arcuate deflector plate maintains the strand in a position free from engagement with the teeth on the snagger plates until such time as the distributor has been fully aligned with the empty reel. Thereafter a frictional force imparted to the strand by the engaged inner flange of the rotating full reel advances the strand downwardly across the surface of the deflector plate and results in a complete removal of the strand from the deflector plate whereupon adjacent teeth on the snagger plates simultaneously grip and move the strand into the severing means.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stationarily mounted transfer device fora continuous strand winding apparatus illustrating the principal features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same device illustrating a deflector plate supporting strand material during the transfer thereof from a full to an empty reel;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the device subsequent to the completion of a transfer of the strand material and a severing thereof;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view illustrating a stationarily mounted deflector plate secured to a severing means and projecting radially beyond the teeth of a snagger plate; and

Fig. 5 is a view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 2 illustrating the relative positions of the projecting teeth on the snagger plate and the reel flange to which the snagger plate is secured.

Referring to Fig. 1, wire or other similar strand material 10 that may be coated or unooated is fed past a distributor generally designated by the numeral 15 to a reel 14 releasably mounted on a shaft (not shown) that is rotated by a drive means 16. The distributor comprises a sheave 12 rotatably mounted within a frame 11 and a guide member 13. An empty reel 17 releasably mounted on a shaft 18 coaxial with the reel 14 is rotated by a drive means 19 in the direction indicated by the arrow at a speed determined by a control circuit (not shown). The control circuit that determines the speed of the empty reel and the rate at which the distributor 15 is shifted during a transfer operation is of the general type disclosed and claimed in the patent to Detrick et al.. Patent No. 2,929,569.

A severing plate 21 having a severing surface 22 is stationarily mounted Within a support structure (not shown). An arcuate transfer or deflector plate 23 is secured to a bar 24 that is in turn stationarily mounted on the severing plate 21 by bolts 25. A pair of snagger plates 27 are removably secured to the drive shafts in spaced relationship to inner flanges 26 of the reels 14 and 17. The snagger plates 27 have a plurality of teeth 28 that function to grip the strand :10 and move the gripped strand into engagement with the severing surface 22 subsequent to the transfer operation. As best illustrated in Fig. 5, the snagger plate and the associated teeth thereof project substantially above the peripheral surface of the reel 14.

When the reel 14 becomes full as registered on a counter 20 associated with the aforementioned control circuit, instrumentalities within the circuit are rendered eflective to laterally advance the distributor into vertical alignment with the empty reel 17 (Fig. 2). The lateral movement imparted to the distributor brings a portion of the wire or strand 10 into engagement with the inner flange 26 of the full reel 14 and the projecting surface of the deflector plate 23 thereby precluding the teeth 28 of the snagger plate 27 on the reel 14 from immediately engaging the strand Fig. 5 However, a frictional force is thereafter imparted to the strand material by the engaged inner flange of the full reel. As the full reel rotates, the strand is moved across the arcuate surface of the plate 23 resulting in a complete removal of the strand I from engagement with the deflector plate. Thereafter,

adjacent teeth of the snagger plates mounted on reels 14 and 17 simultaneously engage and grip the strand and move the strand against the surface 22 to accomplish a severing operation (Fig. 3).

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall Within the spirit and scope thereof.

r 3 What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a continuous strand winding apparatus of the type having a pair of take-up reels coaxially mounted for rotation in spaced relationship to each other andastrand distributor means mounted for movement transversely of said reels; a snagger plate mounted on each of said reels, each snagger plate having a plurality of gripping teeth positioned about the periphery thereof, a strand severing plate positioned between said reels having a severing surface projecting outwardly therefrom below the rotational axis of said reels, and a curved deflector plate mounted on said severing plate fixedly so as to be concentric about the axis of the take-up reels and projecting beyond said gripping teeth of said snagger plates for maintaining the strand free from engagement therewith.

2. In combination with a continuous strand winding apparatus of the type having a pair of rotating take-up reels coaxially mounted in spaced relationship to each other, a snagger plate removably mounted in spaced relationship to the inner flange of each reel for rotary movement therewith, each snagger plate having a plurality of teeth positioned about the periphery thereof and extending radially beyond the surface of said flange and a strand distributor mounted for movement transversely of said reels; a strand severing" plate interposed between said snagger plates for severing a strand engaged by said snagger plates subsequent to the movement of said distributor, and an arcuate transfer plate securely mounted on said severing plate fixedly so as to be concentric about the axis of the take-up reels and projecting beyond the circumferential surfaces of said snagger plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

